


The Thrill of the Chase

by Umbr_el_on



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Getting Back Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Oral Sex, Running Away, Top Caspar von Bergliez, Zine: Fódlan Secrets (Fire Emblem)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbr_el_on/pseuds/Umbr_el_on
Summary: Caspar shook his head, running a hand through his hair as his gaze drifted to the floor. “Right. Is there anything you’d like to say before I continue searching you and building a report?”“I love you.” It came out as little more than a whisper, so soft Ashe wasn’t sure he’d uttered anything at all. The growl that rumbled from Caspar’s throat and the way his eyes sharpened anew confirmed the words were heard.“Four years, Ashe. It’s been four years since you up and left our life together, and all you can think to do is this?” He gestured vaguely between them. “Would it kill you to behave and keep this from being harder than it has to be?"
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	The Thrill of the Chase

Ashe pressed his bag to his side, quieting the rustling canvas as he ran for the gates. One of Edelgard’s many headdresses sat heavy inside. It whispered to him to be melted down, to have its gems extracted and sold. Maybe, just maybe, it’d be enough to support him exploring the Alliance and allow him to ignore his pain for a while longer.

Ashe knew he should have been stealthier in case he’d made a mistake recording the guard schedules, but the weight of the Imperial Palace on all sides felt too suffocating to linger within. This was his most dangerous haul yet and having his escape in sight forced his anxiety and excitement into focus.

He heard the gravel crunch under his feet, felt his eyes stinging from the wind rushing by. He simpered, the gate just a few more yards. He was free, he had personally robbed Edelgard and he–

He was on the ground.

“You’re under arrest for theft.”

Ashe thrashed under the weight against his back, ignoring the scratch of sharp rocks against his face. The person on him shifted their weight and Ashe struggled to make an escape. Instead, he had his face shoved into the ground.

“Shit,” Ashe hissed, feeling a sharp stone bruise his lips.

When he swore, the person holding him paused, grip loosening a fraction. “... Ashe?”

Ashe tried to look behind him, terrified that his identity was already known. He could identify the red of Imperial armor out of the corner of his eye, but nothing more. Unsure what else to do, Ashe relaxed under his captor’s grip. His arms were pulled behind him and tied before the guard climbed off and pulled him to sit up.

“Ashe, what the hell are you doing here?” Caspar hissed, frantically looking around. His expression was a blend of too many emotions, and Ashe couldn’t discern anything.

“What does it look like?”

“I know, I just… can’t believe I have to arrest you.” Caspar sounded equal parts exasperated and enraged.

As Caspar grabbed Ashe to help him up, Ashe smirked. “You don’t _have_ to arrest me.”

Caspar shot him a fiery look and Ashe let loose a dark chuckled. It had been worth a shot. The walk back into the castle was quiet, but the feeling of suffocation was still pressing on Ashe. The whirlwind of being caught and seeing Caspar only worsened his jumbled thoughts.

As they walked down a set of stairs to the holding cells, Caspar broke the silence. “I’ve been meaning to try and see you again. Can’t say I’d expected anything like this.”

“I could say the same,” Ashe sighed. “Shouldn’t you be in Bergliez?”

“Shouldn’t you be in Gaspard?”

Ashe huffed, anger burning beneath his skin. “Why? Your Emperor wasn’t kind enough to leave anything there,” he spat, tone more venomous than he’d intended.

“Hey,” Caspar snapped, “watch your mouth. I could leave you here to rot if you keep that up.”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Ashe sneered.

Caspar fell silent. His face said he was too stunned and angry to respond. Ashe recognized that he wasn’t the person Caspar had known him as, but there was no kind way to demonstrate that. Still, the roughness with which Caspar pushed him into the cell indicated it may have been worth trying to be gentle. Righting himself, Ashe walked over and leaned against the far wall.

Caspar followed and unclasped Ashe’s bag. He made a point of not touching or looking at Ashe. Ashe smirked, bitter and defeated, but let it be. Caspar walked out of the cell, bag in hand, and closed the door behind him. He set the bag down on a table and pulled it open. Ashe almost laughed at Caspar’s stunned face as he looked down at one of Edelgard’s headdresses in the dusty, worn canvas.

“Are you fucking kidding?” Caspar growled through gritted teeth, eyes so sharp that they stabbed into Ashe’s soul.

Ashe shook his head. Caspar dropped the bag and burst back into the cell, slamming the door behind him. “Stealing from the Emperor is a fast track to execution. Do you have a death wish?”

Ashe paused for a long while before he answered, “I don’t know anymore.”

Whatever Caspar had planned to say back came out as only a strangled sound, the words dying in his throat. Concern overtook his expression. “What’s your problem?” he asked, wavering between anger and fretfulness.

Ashe shrugged, feigning disinterest to mask his ache to drop to the floor and beg forgiveness. “I made a mistake, and I’m paying for it. Well, I’m about to pay for it, right?”

Caspar shook his head, running a hand through his hair as his gaze drifted to the floor. “Right. Is there anything you’d like to say before I continue searching you and building a report?”

“I love you.” It came out as little more than a whisper, so soft Ashe wasn’t sure he’d uttered anything at all. The growl that rumbled from Caspar’s throat and the way his eyes sharpened anew confirmed the words were heard.

“Four years, Ashe. It’s been four years since you up and left our life together, and all you can think to do is this?” He gestured vaguely between them. “Would it kill you to behave and keep this from being harder than it has to be?”

Ashe considered Caspar’s words, considered the layers of meaning they possessed. The suggestion that Caspar still cared about him to any degree after his mistake of walking away from their relationship made Ashe’s stomach flutter, but he fought to keep that spark from growing dangerously into hope. Before he could stop himself, the first coherent statement that formed in his mind slipped out.

“You sound just like you did when you’d ask me to brush our cat.”

Caspar looked away and bellowed a few hollow laughs. “You’re insane. You’re in a cell at the Imperial Palace, under arrest for theft, and you want to talk about Gossamer?”

Ashe shrugged. “Better that than the trouble I’m in. Or do you want to carry on with that after all?”

Caspar stepped forward with a glare, raising one hand to rest on the wall beside Ashe’s head. “No, but I will if you force my hand.”

The look on Caspar’s face did more than just tell Ashe to stop pressing; it made him remember, made him _want_. He missed Caspar. He’d been a fool to walk away and then a coward to not go back. Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, Ashe had nothing more to lose by testing if Caspar felt the same spark.

Ashe bit his lip and put on his best bedroom eyes.

Caspar’s expression shifted from irritated to confused to intrigued, his body still all the while. He raised one eyebrow as his eyes flickered over Ashe’s freckles, a tell that his mood was lightening. Despite that, Caspar straightened his arm and widened the space between their bodies. Ashe fluttered his lashes a few times, tilting his head in hopes of bringing Caspar’s warmth back.

An agonized look settled over Caspar’s face. “Ashe, come on… You know I can’t. You know _why_ I can’t.”

“I’m not sure I do, but maybe if you explain, I can try and talk you out of it?”

Caspar scoffed, but a small measure of hope in his eyes betrayed him. “How do I know you’re not just doing this to get away?”

Ashe held Caspar’s gaze for a few weighty seconds, pouring every ounce of himself into conveying that this wasn’t a ploy for escape. If it had been anyone else, it would be, but the Goddess was toying with him and chose today to put him face to face with the one person he ached for above all else. Overcome with the sudden feeling that looks could never be enough to communicate what he needed, Ashe pushed off the wall and melded his lips to Caspar’s.

Expecting hesitation and more questions, Ashe was caught off guard when Caspar kissed him back. They kissed like they’d disappear the moment their lips parted. Caspar was rough and harsh, the undercurrents of anger and pain spilling over into what could have been a tender moment. The bruise on Ashe’s lip ached with the intense pressure, but the sensation only made the moment feel sharper, more tangible. Ashe returned the kiss fervently, drowning in desperation to taste enough to make up for the years they’d lost.

Faster than they’d ever admit, their tongues and teeth met and the kiss grew from smoldering to burning. Instinctually, Ashe moved to run his fingers through Caspar’s hair, groaning when the rope held him back. Caspar knew exactly what Ashe needed–no wonder he loves him–and reached around to untie the rope. As soon as the restraint was gone, Ashe’s hands flew up to Caspar’s hair.

It was longer now, just enough for Ashe to tug and twist. Caspar gasped and pressed into Ashe, putting them back against the cell wall. Ashe suspected it was to ensure he didn’t try to run, but that was not high on his list of present plans. The spark of hope he’d fought to suppress returned with a vengeance, driving Ashe to desire rekindled love more than the treasure sitting on the table.

Caspar moved one hand down to Ashe’s waist, holding it with a gentleness that belied the aggression of their lips. It made Ashe feel alive to be held and kissed again, so desperate and in love that he could cry. Instead, he tried rolling his hips to express the way his body was going up in flames.

As suddenly as the kiss started, Ashe felt cold air against his dampened lips. The sobering sensation made Ashe’s heart break just a touch, eyes wide and searching. Caspar stood upright, their chests still touching. His face was flushed. The conflicted expression was back.

“I…” Caspar panted, “I need you to promise not to leave me again, please…”

Ashe opened his mouth to reply, but Caspar continued just as he noticed footsteps coming from the stairwell. “I can’t do this anymore, it’s disgusting down here and you’re obviously not dangerous. I’m taking you to my office so we can finish there.”

Caspar dropped down and grabbed the rope from the floor, pecking Ashe’s thigh before he righted himself again. The footsteps drew closer. Caspar turned Ashe to face the wall and retie his hands.

“If I get caught so close to you with you untied, we’ll both be in trouble,” Caspar whispered, so close that his breath danced over Ashe’s ear.

Ashe shivered and nodded. He closed his eyes to focus, a groan threatening to pass his tight lips despite its unwelcomeness. The new context of being tied by his beloved was wonderful, the act no longer restrictive but freeing. He trusted Caspar and the ropes acting as a physical manifestation of that trust was one of the most exciting experiences Ashe had ever had. Just as Caspar finished tying off the restraint, the intruder came across their cell.

“Caspar, is everything alright?” Ferdinand asked.

“Yes, just loosening this prisoner’s ropes. They’ve been cooperative.” Caspar fiddled with the already tied knots, shielding Ashe from view as much as possible.

“I see. When you’re finished here, the Emperor has requested a meeting to discuss reassignments. It will be held in the usual room.” Ferdinand’s footsteps resumed after he’d passed along the message.

As the sound faded, Caspar exhaled in relief. He stepped back and gently pulled Ashe to follow before turning them to walk out of the cell, grabbing the bag as he went. Ashe’s steps were awkward as he tried to hide his arousal. He swore he heard Caspar chuckle at one point, but otherwise they were occupied with making their way up two flights of stairs and down a hall into Caspar’s office.

Before Ashe could process being relieved they’d made it to a more private space, he was pressed against the door and kissed. Feeling secure against the smooth wood, he hummed in satisfaction and let himself be drowned in Caspar. Ashe kept his hands relaxed behind his back as Caspar kissed and nipped at his jaw. Ashe tilted his head back to plead for more.

Caspar pressed his hips against Ashe’s, making them both groan when they brushed against each other. Caspar continued pressing sloppy kisses down Ashe’s jaw and neck, paying special attention to kissing every freckle and grinding them together like he too wanted to make up for lost time. Ashe was already hard, and he was about to beg for more when Caspar mercifully untied his pants.

“Swear to me. Swear you’re not fucking with me. If you are, this really will be it. I will make it my mission to pay back the pain you caused me.” Caspar bore into Ashe with desire darkens eyes and lips curved into a snarl.

“I swear, I won’t make that mistake again.” Ashe held eye contact for a beat before he pressed forward and nibbled Caspar’s ear. The way Caspar shivered sent a fresh jolt of desire straight to Ashe’s erection.

Caspar turned away and swiped his desk clear, pens clattering and papers floating to the floor. Ashe’s bag was spared, sitting on the lone chair. “Maybe I could still punish you for trying to steal, in our own way…”

“Oh?” Ashe tilted his head, leering. “How do you plan to do that?”

“By teasing you until I think you’ve made everything up to me.” Caspar guided them further into the room, leaning himself against the desk as he helped Ashe to his knees.

Caspar leaned down and checked the ropes once more, Ashe’s cock twitching helplessly in his clothes as Caspar hovered over him. The loosening of his pants helped, but his underclothes were still a prison all their own. Once the ropes were readjusted, Caspar pulled Ashe’s shirt up to expose his chest and stood back up. He took his time removing his armor, watching Ashe through every buckle and clasp.

With the set laid out on the desk, Ashe licked his lips and looked up at Caspar. Rather than pull his cock free, Caspar began putting his armor away. He moved with infuriating ease and silence, paying Ashe no mind as he whined.

“Cas, wha–”

“If you’re good and wait there, I might still fuck you when I’m done with your mouth.” Caspar snapped with his back to Ashe, but somehow that was more arousing than any expression he could have donned.

Caspar’s movements grew clumsy and hurried after he spoke, which reassured Ashe that the tension was getting to both of them. Though it would be agony to wait and strain in his pants, Caspar would be that much more prepared to take care of him once the time came. And, in a way, it was cathartic to pay for his mistakes.

After far too little time for armor to be assembled and stored properly, Caspar returned and leaned back against the desk. He lowered his pants just enough to expose his cock. He shot Ashe an expectant look. Scooting forward, Ashe held eye contact as he kissed Caspar’s tip.

Caspar let out a lazy hum and that surged into a moan when Ashe’s tongue darted out and swiped over his head. Ashe licked again, pulling away slowly enough to see a trail of spit connect his mouth to Caspar’s cock. Before he could stray too far, Caspar tangled a hand in his hair and pushed him back down. He guided Ashe’s mouth around the first inch of his member, gentle thrusts of his hips working him in beyond that point.

Ashe slid down slowly around Caspar’s thrusts until Caspar’s cock found the back of his throat. Ashe savored the drag of his lips over Caspar’s skin and kept his eyes fixed on his lover’s face. The look of bliss and dominance he observed there was intoxicating, and Ashe wanted nothing more than to make Caspar feel as good as he looked. Ashe bobbed his head a few times along Caspar’s whole length before pulling away with a pop when Caspar’s voice started increasing in pitch.

“Is this good?” Ashe asked, biting his lip to try and hide his mischievous gaze under fluttering lashes.

“It was, let’s keep that up,” Caspar growled and Ashe’s mouth back onto his erection with a harsh hand.

Ashe stopped teasing, laving his tongue over every inch of Caspar on the way down. His knees ached against the stone floor, but Ashe was determined to stay there and attend to Caspar until he’d earned more. Ashe closed his eyes and hummed, noticing once more the way Caspar felt sliding between his lips. He focused on the stretch of his jaw, on the relaxing of his throat, and on the sounds his efforts provoked.

Caspar’s eventual panting made Ashe shudder. The sound was so agonizingly familiar and encouraging. It made Ashe feel much too warm, sweat building under his clothes as his body begged for some sort of relief. Channeling that need into action, Ashe slid his mouth faster, taking Caspar’s cock as deep as he could each time. The few times he hit his throat and gagged, Ashe shuddered and pushed himself just a touch farther. 

His devotion was soon rewarded when Caspar eased him off and to his feet in one quick movement. The flush on Caspar’s face and the precum beading on the head of his cock made it obvious he was coming down from the edge of an orgasm. Part of Ashe wanted to drop back down and finish the job, but the promise of his own pleasure had grown too alluring to put off.

“If you need me to slow down, step on my foot twice or say red,” Caspar said as he guided Ashe’s hips against the desk.

Ashe leaned over until his chest rested against the wood. It felt refreshing against his hot skin and Ashe shook his ass with the newfound energy he had. Caspar grabbed his ass and squeezed, which earned him a guttural moan. Before the sound was finished, Ashe’s pants were pulled to the floor. After doing the same to his own pants, Caspar leaned over and kissed Ashe’s neck, reaching for a drawer. When Caspar’s hand emerged with a half-empty bottle of oil, Ashe turned and gave him a puzzled look.

“I live in the barracks; my office is the only place I can reliably be alone.” Caspar’s face was a shade pinker, but Ashe wasn’t focused on that.

“This isn’t the first time this desk has seen something naughty, is it?” Ashe strained his neck to watch Caspar.

When Caspar stopped oiling his fingers and nodded, Ashe continued. “Hmm, I wish I’d seen as much as this desk. Would you just stroke yourself in your chair? Sit on the desk? Or maybe you’d bend yourself over like you’re doing to me?”

Caspar groaned and started teasing Ashe’s entrance, circling slowly as he waited for the oil to warm up. Ashe was facing forward again panting, leaning back against Caspar’s touch. Caspar kept the pressure the same no matter how far back Ashe moved.

“Please, Cas, you’re driving me insane,” Ashe gasped as a finger began to push in, only to pull back out just before the first knuckle.

“I know.”

Ashe scrambled to think of a quip, a plea, anything to get Caspar to move along. All the words on Ashe’s tongue melted away when Caspar pushed his finger into him. A feeling of practiced ease was laced into Caspar's touch. Ashe yet again lamented the time he could have had like this if he’d just allowed himself. Before that ache morphed into true regret, Ashe melted all over again when Caspar started thrusting his finger.

“You’re so good for me, Ashe. I missed you,” Caspar whispered. Ashe cried out at the tenderness in Caspar’s voice, half pleasured and half overjoyed.

“I missed you too, Cas. Oh, Goddess, I missed you!” Caspar worked a second finger into Ashe and he could feel an orgasm building already.

Caspar took his time preparing Ashe, holding him near the edge but never pushing him over. His cock was left neglected despite his pleading, leaking onto the desk as he keened with every twist of Caspar’s fingers.

After a few more sounds from Ashe, Caspar withdrew his hand. Ashe felt hollow in its absence, comforted only by Caspar’s other hand holding his hips and promising more. Caspar soon pressed his oiled member against Ashe’s entrance, but he paused to kiss Ashe’s cheek.

“Are you ready babe?” Caspar brushed his lips against Ashe’s ear

“Yes! I need you, Cas, please,” Ashe whined, crumbling to his desperation.

“Are you sure? Did I punish you enough?”

Ashe shivered, brushing against Caspar’s cock. “You’re the one in charge, isn’t that your call?”

Caspar responded by pressing in impatiently then thrusting without hesitation. Tears sprung into Ashe’s eyes as he was stretched with a glorious burn around Caspar. In that moment, he became acutely aware of the fact that he hadn't slept with anyone since leaving. That explained why this already felt like the most intense fucking he’d ever had.

“You look beautiful when you take my cock,” Caspar drawled, his voice distant from his head tipping back as one hand moved from Ashe’s hips to the back of his neck.

Ashe couldn’t stop himself from clenching around Caspar’s cock at the praise. “I’m all yours, only yours.”

Caspar picked up his pace, letting go of Ashe’s hips entirely to squeeze his ass. As Ashe’s head spun with pleasure, he craned his neck to look at Caspar’s face again. He still hadn’t been touched, instead holding himself together with light brushes against the table as Caspar pounded into him.

“Don’t leave me again, I…” Caspar paused to catch his breath and lock eyes with Ashe, “I love you.”

“I-ah!” Ashe gasped when Caspar mercifully reached around and fisted his cock, pumping him in rhythm with their thrusts. “I love you Caspar, I promise to stay, just please don’t stop!”

It took only a handful more thrusts for Ashe’s body to dissolve into an orgasm. He tightened around Caspar, feeling deliciously full as he made a mess of the table. He lost himself in repeating Caspar’s name as ripples of pleasure coursed through him. Caspar chanted Ashe’s name, chasing his own climax. Ashe turned to watch, dancing on the edge of overstimulation but determined to see Caspar through.

“In or out?” Caspar gritted through his teeth.

“In.”

As soon as he’d gotten permission, Caspar let his climax wash over him. Ashe felt his release and moaned, the warmth both comforting and overwhelming in the aftershocks of his release. Once Caspar had ridden his high out, he flopped over on top of Ashe and gasped for air, sticky skin melding them together.

After a few blissful moments in the afterglow, Caspar righted himself and pulled out, grabbing a nearby towel off a chair to clean up Ashe. He undid the knot holding restricting Ashe’s hands and gave them a gentle rub before tossing the towel aside. 

Ashe felt something in Caspar’s demeanor shift as the towel hit the floor. He watched Caspar begin to redress and followed suit, feeling anxiety clawing at his mind and fighting it down.

“Is everything alright?” Ashe wrung his hands, not sure what to do.

Caspar sighed, looking towards the door with an anxious expression. “Do you want me to escort you out before I go to my meeting?”

“What?”

“You want to go, right? Get away from the Palace?” Caspar flashed Ashe a sad smile before he looked away again.

“No, I don’t want to leave. I just... I love you and I’ve missed you, but I... can’t stay _here_.” Ashe sighed, feeling cracks forming on his heart as reality barreled into him once more.

Caspar nodded in unwilling understanding, tugging at his clothes to reorganize before setting off to the council room. Ashe cast his eyes to the floor as he retied his pants around his waist. Seemingly out of nowhere, Caspar appeared in front of Ashe and grabbed his shoulders.

“I have an idea! Would you stay with me if it didn’t have to be here?” Caspar let Ashe go to make a grand gesture at the room.

When Ashe nodded with an intrigued yet puzzled expression, Caspar continued. “We’re discussing reassignments tonight; I can request to be dismissed. When my request is granted, we could leave tonight. Travel around the continent like we’ve always wanted to, and–”

“And if your request isn’t granted?”

“It will be. I’ve been here for months without making requests. It would be blatantly unfair to refuse me when she lets Hubert leave at will and excuses Bernadetta from visiting.”

Ashe chewed on that information for a moment before deciding that the logic was sound. He still wondered how Caspar could forgive him and take him back so quickly after what’d he’d done. Before he could get in his own way with self-doubt, Ashe pressed on with making the plan.

“Where would I stay until then?”

“Here, in my office.”

“And a meal? I haven’t eaten in at least a day.”

“I eat in here all the time. I’ll grab extra so we can share.”

Unable to think of another pressing concern, Ashe stared at Caspar. The hope and excitement he found there took him back to when they were teenagers, an infectious kind of energy that manifested in a wide smile across his face. Caspar pulled him into a hug, and it felt like coming home.

Before Ashe could return the gesture, Caspar stepped back, grabbed the bag off his chair and made for the door. “In that case, I should return the headdress and get to the meeting room right away. Just stay here, keep it down, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Ashe called out his understanding, but it was overshadowed by the door slamming. Sighing at that awful habit Caspar still had, Ashe redressed and busied himself to keep his mind from drowning in doubt and anxiety. He went about picking up the things Caspar shoved off his desk, taking care to organize them as logically as he could. Once the desk was pristine, he moved on to Caspar’s armor, polishing off some scuffs and redoing the buckles and clasps Caspar had missed in his haste. Just as he was about to start dusting with his sleeves, Caspar exploded through the door.

“I’m free to go!” He dropped a basket full of food onto his desk, but Ashe was too busy pressing his lips to Caspar’s to care about the meal.

They stayed lip locked for several seconds before their smiles were too wide to kiss through. When they broke apart, they kept their faces close. Caspar brought his hand up to cradle Ashe’s cheek and he leaned into the touch.

“Let’s eat up and head out?” Caspar whispered.

Ashe nodded, blushing when Caspar leaned closer to him to reach around and grab the basket. When he stood back up, he started to portion out their meals as evenly as possible. Ashe started eating before Caspar was done, his hunger getting the best of him. Caspar shot him a worried look but didn’t press, a restraint Ashe was thankful for.

While Ashe vacuumed up his meal, Caspar started packing up items from around the room. He opened drawers Ashe hadn’t noticed until then, pulling out clothes and knick-knacks. Though he said he lived in the barracks, it was apparent his things did not.

“Do you need any help?”

“Nah, I’ve got it.” Caspar crammed his stuff into a bag, ignoring the way the buckles looked ready to tear at the slightest disturbance.

Once the bag was miraculously closed, Caspar joined Ashe in eating dinner. The meal passed quietly as they shoveled it down, eager to slip away. Ashe was only just getting to process the entire whirlwind of a day with his last bite of bread when Caspar jumped to his feet. Beaming, all traces of his earlier anger and anguish blissfully gone, he held a hand out to Ashe.

“Ready?”

Ashe gave a bashful chuckle, taking Caspar’s hand with a nod. “Ready.”

Caspar pecked Ashe’s cheek before slinging his bag onto his shoulder. Caspar took the lead getting them out, his familiarity with the guards’ schedules and property an invaluable asset. Ashe had to fight back giddy laughter at every corner pause and dash between hiding places.

When they finally made it to the courtyard, Caspar gave a soft snort and pointed. “You can see a mark in the dirt when I tackled you.”

Ashe peered over and he had to bite his lip to keep from getting too loud. Sure enough, a vaguely human-shaped patch of dirt had moved to expose the darker layers of damp earth. A few harsh pebbles were visible, the culprits of his light scrapes and bruises.

Ashe recollected himself and Caspar snuck them as close as he could before they ran for the gate. This time, Ashe made it out without anyone stopping him. In lieu of Edelgard’s headdress, he found the love of his life again, who now ran by his side. They continued to run when they hit the open field, the edge of the city approaching

Finally, after the Imperial Palace was far behind them and they were secure in the crowds of the city, Ashe stopped and laughed. His breath came in short gasps. Caspar wheeled around, surprised and cheeks flushed from exertion.

“What’s so funny?”

Ashe could barely eke out his answer. “Nothing! I just… I really do love you.”

Caspar returned the sentiment with a grin joined in the laughter. They carried on until everything was out of their system, until they were too breathless to do anything but stop.

Finally together again, they linked hands and walked into the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/umbr_el_on) ✨💕


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